Sep 25, 2017

U.S.-Russia relations have been in a downward spiral ever since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. Another catalyst for friction is Russia’s alleged meddling in the U.S. presidential elections in 2016.

The left is so fixated on taking down the Trump Administration that they have built Russia into the source of all evil. Vladimir Putin is a ruthless dictator, but there is reason why we need to pay him some measure of respect—he is the only person on the planet who can destroy the United States at will.

In July, Democrat Operative Paul Begala suggested to a CNN panel that we should retaliate by bombing Russia’s KGB headquarters over the alleged election interference. There were six people at the table, and no one bothered to point out the craziness of bombing a nation with 2,000 nuclear weapons aimed at us.

President Trump and Putin have personally tried to smooth relations, but the Washington establishment has been able to veto any plans for de-escalation. Congress recently voted to put new sanctions on Russia. The bill passed the House by 419-3 and the Senate 98-2; which is a rare bipartisan vote for a Congress that is deadlocked on most issues.

A series of tit for tat diplomatic expulsions began last December when President Obama kicked out 30 Russian diplomats from the U.S. and seized Russian diplomatic compounds in New York and Maryland. The Kremlin waited until late July—in hopes the Trump Administration would reverse the course set by its predecessor. But then it ordered the U.S. to reduce its diplomatic staff in the country by 755 people and seized two U.S. diplomatic properties in Russia.

In response, the U.S. ordered Russia to shut its consulate in San Francisco. Because the Russians were only given a couple days to clear out, they had to frantically burn secret documents. The local media made light of the smoke pouring from the roof.

Several Hollywood celebrities have joined the anti-Russia bandwagon. Director Rob Reiner has helped form a new group called the Committee to Investigate Russia, to highlight what is known about the Russian threat to interfere with American elections and other institutions. Morgan Freeman made a bizarre PSA for this group saying, “We Are at War With Russia.”

The constant attacks against Russia will likely motivate Putin to cause trouble for America. There are already signs that he is working to undermine the sanctions against North Korea. At least eight North Korean ships have left Russia with a cargo of fuel and they are headed for their homeland despite declaring other destinations. U.S. officials say that changing destination mid-voyage is a hallmark of North Korean state tactics to circumvent the international trade sanctions.

There are also signs that Russia is allowing smugglers to sneak goods across the Russian and North Korean border. If there is clear evidence of Moscow’s violation of the sanctions, our relations with Russia will obviously go from bad to worse; if that is even possible at this point.

Another way for Russia to get back at America is to cause trouble for our key ally, Israel. Putin has been allowing Iran to ship weapon’s into Syria. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was so concerned about Iran’s presence in Syria, he flew to Moscow to meet with Putin. They came to an agreement that Russia will play a pivotal role in maintaining “The peace.”

“Putin doesn’t want to lose Iran or Israel,” said Andrey Kortunov, director general of the Russian International Affairs Council.

We know from prophecy that Russia is going to side with the Arabs in an attack on Israel. I don’t know if this rabid hatred of all things Russian will be a direct cause of the Gog-Magog invasion. It certainly creates the environment for Putin to make a daring move that would shock the world.

“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:

And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords” (Ezekiel 38:1-4).

–Todd

Revelation 12 Disappointment or Determination

Saturday, September 23, 2017, has come and gone by the time you get this. I’m writing this on Sunday, September 17, 2017. If you are reading this when it is posted on the evening of September 24, 2017, or later, and you know Christ for salvation, the Rapture hasn’t occurred.

If you aren’t reading this because you are no longer on the planet, or it was never posted because there was no one here to post it, then my commentary is inconsequential. But if you are a believer and you invested heavily in the notion that the date, September 23, and the Revelation chapter 12 Scripture pointed to the Rapture of the Church, you might find the considerations herein worthy of your time.

This is not to point fingers of shame at those who were invested in the September 23 date as tied to Revelation 12. There were many chronological and astronomical/astrological statistics and postulations to support a case that the date and the signs in the heavens meant something of prophetic significance was afoot.

Many–including some colleagues and friends of mine–believe that the sign in the stars that converged on September 23 didn’t necessarily point to the Rapture. They believe these strange comings-together of astral bodies is a confirmation from the Lord that the end times are here and Christ coming to put an end to man’s rebellion is imminent. These same colleagues and friends, thus believe–and I agree–that they haven’t violated the “doctrine of imminence” regarding the unknown time of the Rapture of the Church.

I won’t attempt to defend those who did dogmatically predict that September 23, 2017, was definitely when the Rapture would happen. There is no pinpointing the exact day and hour of Christ’s coming for the Church. Jesus said so.

To make such predictions is to enter into the folly that so many down through the years have entered. The result is the same. The Rapture did not occur on September 23. What else can be said?

Their disappointment, if they were totally invested in the proposition of Rapture on September 23, is no doubt profound. I, myself, wish it would have happened on that date. As a matter of fact, I prefer that the Rapture happen right now while I’m writing this on September 17.

Now, what do we do from this point forward? I believe we go from disappointment to determination.

We don’t have to look at perceived astronomical, astrological, and other anomalous signs to know that Christ’s return is imminent. We don’t have to look longingly each year for the Jewish holy days–the feasts, etc.–in thinking on the Rapture of the Church.

There are signals of the prophetic stage-setting sort that make it crystal clear concerning the time and season in which this generation finds itself.

The Gog-Magog coalition is practically 100 percent formed. Russia (Rosh), Iran (Persia), Turkey (Torgomah), and all the Arab world of the Middle East are gathering north of and surrounding Israel.

China and the kings of the east are growing in strength and leering westward.

The globalists elite and their minions are in a rage to bring in the Antichrist regime, even though they perceive their quest as attempting to establish Utopia.

The nations of the world are in economic and civil chaos. They are in perplexity with great distress at the center of their troubles.

There is a developing religious universalism in which the pope and many so-called Protestant pastors are proclaiming many ways to God and salvation.

Nature seems to be spinning up as part of the great end-times storm that is most certainly on its way.

Rather than suffer in the throes of disappointment because dates and prophetic events don’t work out to fit human calculus, let us be determined to serve our individual and corporate–heavenly–purpose. Let us lift the Name of Jesus during the time between now and when He comes for us who are called by His Holy Name.

We are not left without understanding of the lateness of these last days.

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day:
we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:5)